1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of forming thermal insulation material into a desired sectional shape, such material being for use, for example, as pipe insulation in which application the desired sectional shape will be semi-circular.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the conventional materials used for pipe insulation is calcium silicate reinforced with asbestos fibre and this is in some cases prepared in the form of a wet slurry and such slurry is processed into the desired sectional shape by confining it between a central core and a pair of outer die members and then baking it for the necessary period in order to obtain the finished product. Such a method is essentially slow in that the separate steps of filling, baking and stripping are involved.
Thermal insulation materials of the microporous type which are characterised in that they are an intimate dry powder mix of free-flowing or substantially free-flowing consistency have thermal insulation characteristics superior to those of conventional materials but, because of their physical nature, are extremely difficult to form into the desired shape for use as, for example, pipe insulation.
The objects of the present invention include the provision of an improved method for forming thermal insulation materials into a desired sectional shape such as will enable more rapid production of such shapes to be achieved using a mix in the form of a dry powder or wet slurry and which will also enable microporous insulation materials to be formed into sectional shapes.